Vacuum cleaners



March 26, 1963 G. M01-1', JR 3,082,938

VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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HIS ATTORNEY Gn/eefr M077; Je.

March 26, 1963 G, MOTT, JR I 3,082,938

VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unit My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to cleaners of the enclosed bag type in which both a dust bag for filtering dirt from the air and a motorfan unit for moving the air are enclosed within a housing from which the air is discharged to atmosphere through an exhaust port.

One of the chief objects of my invention is to provide improved means for reducing the noise emitted 4from a vacuum cleaner of this type. Another object is to cause the air discharged therefrom to be directed upwardly and away from the floor on which the cleaner is supported.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing on which FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on the lines 22 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3*?, of FIG. l.

Referring to the drawing, reference character designates generally an elongated casing provided with a pair of wheels 12 near one end and a caster 14 near the other for supporting the housing in a substantially horizontal position on a horizontal surface, such as a oor.

The left-hand end of housing 10, as viewed in FIG. l, forms a dust :bag compartment in which is positioned a dust bag 16 which may be inserted and removed through an opening at the end of the housing which is normally closed by means of a cover 18 formed with a centrally located inl-et opening 20 to which may be connected the usual suction hose.

Disposed within the opposite end of housing 10 is a motor-fan unit comprising an electric motor 22v and a fan 24. The housing of the fan is formed with an inlet opening 26 and the air discharged from the fan passes through the -motor in order to cool the latter and is discharged through openings 2S in Athe motor frame.

The end wall 30 of the housing is formed with an exhaust port 32. Secured to the inner side of the end wall are partition means designated generally by reference character 34 forming, together with a portion of the end wall, an enclosure 36 within the housing `10 adjacent to and communicating with the port 32. The partition means v34 includes a cylindrical portion 38 and a flat wall portion 40 which is substantially parallel to the end wall 30 of the housing.

An air bathe 42 is secured to the end wall 3G' adjacent to the opening 32 and extends through the enclosure 36 to the flat wall portion 40. As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing, the baffle 42 has a cylindrical part at the end thereof immediately adjacent to the port 32, but is semi-cylindrical at the opposite end and throughout a substantial portion of its length, and the semi-cylindrical part is disposed above the exhaust port. The wall portion 40 is provided with openings 44 which communicate with the enclosure 36 above the semi-cylindrical part of the baffle 42.

The annular portion of the end wall 60 which is within the enclosure 36 and around the exhaust port 32 is lined with sound absorbent material 46 such as felt, while the inner side of the cylindrical portion 38 is lined with similar material 48.

3,632,938 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 During operation of the cleaner, air and entrained dirt are drawn through the hose into the dust bag 16 where the dirt is iltered from the air. The clean air is drawn into the fan 24 through the inlet 26 and is discharged through the openings 2S in the motor frame. This air then passes through the openings 44 into the enclosure 36. Here it must pass downwardly through the enclosure around the sides of the 'baffle 42 and thereafter reverse its direction so as to pass out through the port 32.

The operation of the motor-fan unit is bound to generate noise which the air stream tends to carry out of the cleaner. The partition means 34, the sound absorbent material 46 and 43 and the baflie 42 combine to reduce the amount of this noise which is emitted from the cleaner. The area of the openings 44 is such that the orifice effectA results in the suppression of noise. Also, the sound waves cannot travel in a straight line-of-sight from the opening 44 to the port 32, but must pass down and around the baie 42 and then experience a change in direction of flow, as indicated by the arrow 50, which further suppresses noise. `In following this path, still further suppression is obtained by impingement of the sound waves against the material 46 and 43 which lines the enclosure 36. The net result is much quieter operation than would be obtained if the sound waves were able to travel directly from the openings 2S to the port 32.

The presence of the bafe d2 also causes the air passing through the port 32 to ow in an upward direction, as indicated by the arrow 5t), so as not to disturb dirt and dust which `may be on the `floor behind the cleaner. Moreover, it accomplishes the desired direction of airow without obstructing the exhaust port 32, thus making it possible to connect a hose in this port if it is desired to use the vacuum cleaner for blowing.

While I have shown and described one specilic embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this has been done lfor the purposes of illustration only and that the scope of my invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined from the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing, a motor-fan unit for producing tlow of air through said housing, said housing including a wall formed with an unobstructed exhaust port for the discharge of said air, partition means forming an enclosure within said housing and communicating with said port, said partition means having a portion parallel to said wall, and a single air bathe within said enclosure extending from said wall at one side of said port to said parallel portion of said partition means, said portion having restrictive opening means to the interior of said housing disposed on the side of said baille opposite said port and being equidistant from the plane which divides the baffle symmetrically whereby the air will divide and flow .around said convex side and then unite before passing through the exhaust port to give a directional ilow to said air, said portion of the partition on the other side of said .bathe being imperforate, said restrictive opening means having a total cross-sectional area substantially less than that of the path of airflow through said housing immediately preceding said opening, and the distance between said wall and said portion being substantially less than the dimension of said enclosure at right angles thereto whereby air issuing through said opening impinges against said wall, and sound absorbent material lining at least a portion of said enclosure.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing, a motor-,fan unit for producing flow of air through said housing, said housing including a wall formed with an exhaust port for the discharge of said air, partition means extending inwardly from said wall and forming together with said wall an enclosure Within'said housing communicating with said port, said partition means having a portion parallel to said wall, a single semi-cylindrical air baie within said enclosure extending from said wall to said parallel portion of said partition means, said port being adjacent to the concave side of said bale and devoid of any obstruction whereby a hose may be inserted therein, said portion having restrictive opening means to the interior of said housing disposed adjacent to the convex side of said batiie equidistant from the plane which divides the baffle symmetrically whereby the air will divide and :flow around said convex side and then unite before passing through the exhaust port to give a directional flow to said air, said portion adjacent to the concave side Vof said baffle being imperforate, said restrictive opening 4 pinges against said Wall, sound absorbent material within said enclosure and constituting said Wall around said port and baii'ie including the area of the wall against which the air impinges, and sound absorbent material lining the inner surface of a circumferential portion of said partition means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,246,196 Weisberg Nov. 13, 1917 2,107,819 Faber Feb. 8, 1938 2,327,553 Ponselle `Aug. 24, 1943 2,731,194 Kent Jan. 17, 1956 2,749,998 Walton et al June 12, 1956 2,867,834 Kelly Jan.13, 1959 2,889,570 Duff June 9, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 358,083 Germany Sept. 5, 1922 395,25() Great Britain July 13, 1933 556,550 Ger-many Aug. 10, 1932 

1. IN A VACUUM CLEANER, A HOUSING, A MOTOR-FAN UNIT FOR PRODUCING FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A WALL FORMED WITH AN UNOBSTRUCTED EXHAUST PORT FOR THE DISCHARGE OF SAID AIR, PARTITION MEANS FORMING AN ENCLOSURE WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PORT, SAID PARTITION MEANS HAVING A PORTION PARALLEL TO SAID WALL, AND A SINGLE AIR BAFFLE WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE EXTENDING FROM SAID WALL AT ONE SIDE OF SAID PORT OF SAID PARALLEL PORTION OF SAID PARTITION MEANS, SAID PORTION HAVING RESTRICTIVE OPENING MEANS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING DISPOSED ON THE SIDE OF SAID BAFFLE OPPOSITE SAID PORT AND BEING EQUIDISTANT FROM THE PLANE WHICH DIVIDES THE BAFFLE SYMMETRICALLY WHEREBY THE AIR WILL DIVIDE AND FLOW AROUND SAID CONVEX SIDE AND THEN UNITE BEFORE PASSING THROUGH THE EXHAUST PORT TO GIVE A DIRECTIONAL FLOW TO SAID AIR, SAID PORTION OF THE PARTITION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID BAFFLE BEING IMPERFORATE, SAID RESTRICTIVE OPENING MEANS HAVING A TOTAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE PATH OF AIRFLOW THROUGH SAID HOUSING IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING SAID OPENING, AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID WALL AND SAID PORTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE DIMENSION OF SAID ENCLOSURE AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO WHEREBY AIR ISSUING THROUGH SAID OPENING IMPINGES AGAINST SAID WALL, AND SOUND ABSORBENT MATERIAL LINING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE. 